Sandra Hommel
Athlete of the Month
July 2018
Sandra Hommel is our athlete of the month for July 2018. She was an easy choice – everyone kept remarking on how amazing she looked and how it was nice to have her back (she had to take a short break).
Sandra came in thinking she was going to ‘try it’ for three months. (For the record, I never thought she would just be a member for three months.) It was clear she had a natural ability to learn movement and was easy to coach throughout her Foundations classes and just took off from there!
She has been on a road of continuous improvement since she started and has been working with Coach Lara after completing Foundations to improve her skills and lifts. Recently she refocused on nutrition and has transformed her appearance, putting on muscle and dropping body fat.
She really has been an inspiration to work with and we are so glad she found us; her natural blending into our community has been like she’s been with us far longer than she has! We are glad she calls CFJC home 🙂
Sandra Hommel,50, Major Account Manager for Verizon. Mom of a 22 year old Nobel prize winning son (not yet, but someday).
In July 2017, I’d been in GA a little over a month and needed to get out of my apartment. I had moved here alone and was going stir crazy. Friends in VT had recommended CrossFit, but it never worked in my schedule. I thought it may be a good thing to try, for maybe 3 months, and then I could take what I learned and workout on my own again. Fortunately, that is not the way things worked out – I am hooked!
My 1st WOD after Foundations was “Wes,” a Hero WOD. I remember discussing with Dan that I would run without the plate as a modification. He said, “I think you can do 15 lbs.” This is an example of every instance I’ve had a coach overrule my thoughts – and it worked. I was actually elated, alive, vibrant, though exhausted. It was a great feeling of achievement and I thought I might actually enjoy this CF gig.
There are so many things I enjoy. Watching athletes work hard and never give up, stretching myself to get to the next level, getting tips on correct form, or when to load on a little more weight. It’s a very encouraging, supportive community and I’m so grateful to have moved to this area and landed at CFJC. The friends I’ve made at this place are amazing and I look forward to being with them inside the box, or hanging out together anywhere.
In January when I walked in for a personal with Lara. I rattled off some goals I had for the year – deadlift, bench, squat, rope climb and finally getting a pull-up. She said, “Let’s get rope climb off the list and you can do it tonight.” I hadn’t tried a rope climb since foundations, but I had to believe she knew more about what I could do based on my powerlifting training – so I stopped thinking I wasn’t ready and climbed the rope!
I’m still learning what I like and don’t like and it’s changed. I enjoyed barnyard burpees and I like the bench press though I wish I could lift more/progress faster. Least favorite – snatch. I’m not good at that… yet.
I think I’ll always be partial to my first – Wes. Least favorite – Days of Christmas 2017. Oh, and Annie – she seemed reasonable until I walked hunched over for the next three days because my abs were hurting! I did like Murph when I did it this year for the first time – there’s a satisfaction to completing a Hero WOD and watching others give it their all also.
Get a pull-up by the end of the year. Deadlift 250 lbs, Squat 200 lbs, Bench 100 lbs and work on double-unders in the second half of 2018. How close – I don’t know, ask Lara. I trust that she’s writing my program so I get closer to them every day. My part is to do the workout she writes for me to the best of my ability, with maybe a little whining once in a while.
It may sound odd, but it feels like I found my GA family when I started at CFJC. The community created by Lara and Dan is so supportive and encouraging. It’s a place to work hard and achieve goals. The lessons I’ve learned in the journey to becoming more fit apply to my work and personal life as well. I used to want to be thin, now I want to be “slim-thick,” strong and capable of doing what I used to think was impossible.
This is so hard to answer. Since I moved here a year ago, I’m still working on what I like to do. I enjoy reading, used to quilt, love it when my son visits, run once in a while. If there is something I can do with any of my CFJC friends, I’m there – a hike, movie, concert, walk, breakfast. I guess you could say my favorite thing is relating with my new friends.
In addition to the fitness level the workouts have given me, my mental challenge of staying positive has improved. I don’t have to listen to the voices in my head. CFJC has taught me I can do more than I think I can.
Everything you see athletes doing is possible for you to do also. There are scaled versions of tougher movements and all of the coaches want you to achieve your goals. I think the coaches get as much delight with someone’s PRs or improvements as the athlete does! I did not think at my age that there would be such a dramatic change to my fitness in less than a year, but it worked and I made sensational friends along the way.
Yes, Lara is absolutely amazing. Her coaching style and encouragement is much appreciated. The programs she writes for me have made me stronger and she’s always available/willing to support me in achieving my goals. When I whined that I couldn’t see my muscle tone yet, she bluntly stated “it’s your diet” and introduced me to RP templates. I’ve given up my pre-conceived notions of what fitness is and look to her for guidance in this area. She’s been a great guide and mentor to me and I credit my success to her. In my opinion she truly wants her community of athletes to reach their individual goals, and then some.
Editor’s note: Awwww shucks! (blushing)
